What is a bio-mat?
A bio-mat is a layer of slimy dark-grey colored bacteria that forms and lives in your absorption field. This bacteria can slow your systems ability to absorb water by physically clogging the soil interface.
Some bio-mat is normal and in fact healthy. When nutrient ladened wastewater passes through the bio-mat, it consumes some of the wastewater’s nutrients, partially cleaning the water before it passes into the soil. Hydraulically overloading and high strength flows will optimize growing conditions for the bio-mat and enable it to chock off your system.
Secondary Treatment devices are known to prevent bio-mats from forming or breaking up existing bio-mats by cleaning the nutrients from the wastewater before it goes into your absorption field. Existing bio-mats will literally starve and break up without the presence of nutrients. This is also a good reason to have an alternating valve on your system.
Keep your bio-mat at bay by doing the following: